A Quick Hitter To Capital City

Road food. Casey's pizza, Coke, and rollin' in the "Truck With No Name".

Friday I was scheduled to appear as a speaker at the Iowa Bicycle Summit. My appointed time to speak was at 1:45pm. Fortunately, Friday was a decent day with none of that crazy wind and blowing snow like we had the day before, and it was void of the snow we had Saturday. Basically a somewhat tranquil weather day. This was good since the "Truck With No Name" isn't what I would call the best Winter vehicle. In fact, it is downright dangerous to drive it when the road surfaces are slick since, in true pick-up form, it's very light on the rear wheels. Well, true to pick-up form in the old school sense. Today's rolling palaces that are called "trucks" are a different story.

Anyway, I started off on my journey at about 9:45am figuring on it taking a good couple of hours plus some to get into the Iowa Events Center in downtown Des Moines. The trip was fairly uneventful, with the exception of stopping for a slice of Casey's pizza. I mean.....you have to do the Casey's pizza!

Des Moines was......uggh. I really do not like big cities. Parking ramps, messes everywhere, about five times the amount of traffic everywhere than the place was designed to handle. Yeah.... Not my cuppa.....

But that's me. I wasn't cut out to live in such places. Maybe you are? Great. I just don't get on with the "City" life. Although I live in Waterloo, which isn't "small", but it isn't a "City" like Des Moines is. But I digress................

I get in there and Mark West, the coordinator of the goings on, finds me and directs me to the room I will be speaking in. There is a fellow ahead of me who is, I think, from the University of Iowa and was giving a talk about AI and self driving cars. It was pretty interesting. Basically, the aim, as this man was telling it, was that these cars and trucks are being "taught" to recognize cars, bicyclists, and pedestrians, and then take evasive or "appropriate" maneuvers to avoid contact with those other forms of traffic. The man was explaining that it might take 40 years for this technology to become "ubiquitous" on the roadways. Meanwhile, Google, Waypo, and other car manufacturers are working to make it so cars automatically slow or stop to avoid things like a moving cyclist.

I was floored that he, nor anyone else, had thought that this line of thinking is not going to work well, because humans are little devils and will mess with how these cars react to peds and cyclists. You know, just to be mean spirited. 

The Iowa State Capital as seen from outside the Iowa Events Center. 

 Imagine a cyclist, waving his arm about, because he knows it will make the cars behind him slow down, thus frustrating the folks inside. Then imagine what those folks will think, and how they may react, especially if the system cannot be overruled. Priceless! Yeah......they are going to have to work through a lot more issues than they think to get these cars on the road with no need to drive them.

Anyway, it finally came time for me to talk and I gave my little bit about why communities in Iowa might want to embrace gravel roads as a way to get events and recreational opportunities going in their areas. That done, I bugged out and started back home. I would have dearly loved to have stayed in Des Moines and overnight to attend the Iowa Bicycle Expo the following day, but money is so tight right now that I simply could not afford to do it. Sorry if that offends anyone in the DM area I know, but it is my reality now.

So, that was a quick hitter and not too exciting, but it is what it is.

A Quick Hitter To Capital City

Road food. Casey's pizza, Coke, and rollin' in the "Truck With No Name".

Friday I was scheduled to appear as a speaker at the Iowa Bicycle Summit. My appointed time to speak was at 1:45pm. Fortunately, Friday was a decent day with none of that crazy wind and blowing snow like we had the day before, and it was void of the snow we had Saturday. Basically a somewhat tranquil weather day. This was good since the "Truck With No Name" isn't what I would call the best Winter vehicle. In fact, it is downright dangerous to drive it when the road surfaces are slick since, in true pick-up form, it's very light on the rear wheels. Well, true to pick-up form in the old school sense. Today's rolling palaces that are called "trucks" are a different story.

Anyway, I started off on my journey at about 9:45am figuring on it taking a good couple of hours plus some to get into the Iowa Events Center in downtown Des Moines. The trip was fairly uneventful, with the exception of stopping for a slice of Casey's pizza. I mean.....you have to do the Casey's pizza!

Des Moines was......uggh. I really do not like big cities. Parking ramps, messes everywhere, about five times the amount of traffic everywhere than the place was designed to handle. Yeah.... Not my cuppa.....

But that's me. I wasn't cut out to live in such places. Maybe you are? Great. I just don't get on with the "City" life. Although I live in Waterloo, which isn't "small", but it isn't a "City" like Des Moines is. But I digress................

I get in there and Mark West, the coordinator of the goings on, finds me and directs me to the room I will be speaking in. There is a fellow ahead of me who is, I think, from the University of Iowa and was giving a talk about AI and self driving cars. It was pretty interesting. Basically, the aim, as this man was telling it, was that these cars and trucks are being "taught" to recognize cars, bicyclists, and pedestrians, and then take evasive or "appropriate" maneuvers to avoid contact with those other forms of traffic. The man was explaining that it might take 40 years for this technology to become "ubiquitous" on the roadways. Meanwhile, Google, Waypo, and other car manufacturers are working to make it so cars automatically slow or stop to avoid things like a moving cyclist.

I was floored that he, nor anyone else, had thought that this line of thinking is not going to work well, because humans are little devils and will mess with how these cars react to peds and cyclists. You know, just to be mean spirited. 

The Iowa State Capital as seen from outside the Iowa Events Center. 

 Imagine a cyclist, waving his arm about, because he knows it will make the cars behind him slow down, thus frustrating the folks inside. Then imagine what those folks will think, and how they may react, especially if the system cannot be overruled. Priceless! Yeah......they are going to have to work through a lot more issues than they think to get these cars on the road with no need to drive them.

Anyway, it finally came time for me to talk and I gave my little bit about why communities in Iowa might want to embrace gravel roads as a way to get events and recreational opportunities going in their areas. That done, I bugged out and started back home. I would have dearly loved to have stayed in Des Moines and overnight to attend the Iowa Bicycle Expo the following day, but money is so tight right now that I simply could not afford to do it. Sorry if that offends anyone in the DM area I know, but it is my reality now.

So, that was a quick hitter and not too exciting, but it is what it is.

Happenings Of Late

A new set of Easton wheels to review

With the sudden arrival of Winter proper last weekend, I have been holed up, for the most part, catching up on things, shoveling snow, or doing maintenance. Family time has also been high up on the menu lately as well.

So, last weekend I had to bust out the shovels and do my duty. We have a sidewalk, parking on the street out front, and I help keep the widow woman's walk and driveway clear with the help of my son as well. It's hard work, shoveling, but it burns up a lot of energy and works muscles I do not get to work when cycling. I guess I actually like doing it too. I know.......weird, huh? But I feel good about myself and the job I can do after shoveling.

I was spending time with my two kids on Monday, since they did not have school on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I figured I would ride to work Tuesday, which I did, but then Wednesday was another big snowfall day here and I spent the better part of the morning shoveling with my son. Plus, Tuesday and Wednesday the kids got the day off from school, so they were around more and we got to hang out together more than I thought I would.

Then the furnace guy had to come to inspect the boiler, (passed with flying colors), and then the whole family had dental appointments, (passed with flying colors). Then errands, and after all of that, we went out to eat for my birthday. After this, I got presented with a special birthday cake my daughter bought for me.

I did get to squeeze in some time working on bicycles as well. I revived the "other Inbred", which is a single speed. I also started setting up those Easton wheels, but I don't know how soon I'll be getting to ride them in the upcoming frigid temperatures.

Riding home from work Tuesday in mashed potato snow.

So, now we have snow. Yeah, and I am not really stoked on it because it is the typical granular, sugar-snow which when the temperatures reach 25°F or so, turns into mashed potatoes. I can ride through it, but it takes a lot of effort, and it isn't a whole lot of fun. The did try grooming some trails here, so we'll have to see how that turns out.

In the meantime, I am scheduled to be in Des Moines for the Iowa Bicycle Summit Friday. It is supposed to snow again that day. I sure hope I can get back! (Or even get there!) Plus, it is supposedly going to get bitterly cold starting then through to the end of the following week. That may help this snow set up, or it will turn into beach sand and be darn near impossible to ride through. We'll see.

Happenings Of Late

A new set of Easton wheels to review

With the sudden arrival of Winter proper last weekend, I have been holed up, for the most part, catching up on things, shoveling snow, or doing maintenance. Family time has also been high up on the menu lately as well.

So, last weekend I had to bust out the shovels and do my duty. We have a sidewalk, parking on the street out front, and I help keep the widow woman's walk and driveway clear with the help of my son as well. It's hard work, shoveling, but it burns up a lot of energy and works muscles I do not get to work when cycling. I guess I actually like doing it too. I know.......weird, huh? But I feel good about myself and the job I can do after shoveling.

I was spending time with my two kids on Monday, since they did not have school on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I figured I would ride to work Tuesday, which I did, but then Wednesday was another big snowfall day here and I spent the better part of the morning shoveling with my son. Plus, Tuesday and Wednesday the kids got the day off from school, so they were around more and we got to hang out together more than I thought I would.

Then the furnace guy had to come to inspect the boiler, (passed with flying colors), and then the whole family had dental appointments, (passed with flying colors). Then errands, and after all of that, we went out to eat for my birthday. After this, I got presented with a special birthday cake my daughter bought for me.

I did get to squeeze in some time working on bicycles as well. I revived the "other Inbred", which is a single speed. I also started setting up those Easton wheels, but I don't know how soon I'll be getting to ride them in the upcoming frigid temperatures.

Riding home from work Tuesday in mashed potato snow.

So, now we have snow. Yeah, and I am not really stoked on it because it is the typical granular, sugar-snow which when the temperatures reach 25°F or so, turns into mashed potatoes. I can ride through it, but it takes a lot of effort, and it isn't a whole lot of fun. The did try grooming some trails here, so we'll have to see how that turns out.

In the meantime, I am scheduled to be in Des Moines for the Iowa Bicycle Summit Friday. It is supposed to snow again that day. I sure hope I can get back! (Or even get there!) Plus, it is supposedly going to get bitterly cold starting then through to the end of the following week. That may help this snow set up, or it will turn into beach sand and be darn near impossible to ride through. We'll see.

Happenings Of Late

January.....no snow, no ice, and lots of mud and water!

This is a period of time now where Winter has gone AWOL and we are left with foggy, drippy, cool weather which has depleted the snow. We are now back to the "Brown Phase" and everything looks sullen and dreary.

The ice storm from last week has also had all of its effects melted away, creating another issue- flooding. Since the water that melted and the rain that fell had no where to go in to the soil, due to frozen ground, it ran into all the rivers and streams instead. That has caused ice jams and flooding that is more akin to early March weather than mid-January fare. Hey, at least it isn't below zero!

So, I've been back to riding just recently since being sick. I have been spending most of my time on fat bikes and will continue to do so until I feel better and especially if it snows again. It might do so Tuesday. Anyway, with the water sitting around, and with what little ice there is, it all dictates that I ride the fat bike, which is more sure-footed. It doesn't have a tendency to sink in the mire in a couple of places where I have that on my commute.

I felt good enough to spend Saturday going down to see what was up at the Iowa Bike Expo in Des Moines. Plus, I got to eat lunch at Krunkwich Ramen House, which I highly recommend if you find yourself in Iowa's capital city. Anyway, following are a few of the highlights of the show from my viewpoint. I'll add a bit of commentary as we go here.

Bombtrack Bikes are from Germany, but distributed out of Ames Iowa.

I first came across a Bombtrack Bikes "Beyond" model that caught my eye. It is pretty much a take on a Gen I Fargo, so I was happy to actually get to take a look at one up close. The frame tubing is Columbus CroMor double butted, and seems to be a good thinner walled spec. The bike nails the vibe of a Gen I Fargo, but every time I check out the Bombtrack geo chart on this bike I kind of shake my head. A 72.5° degree head tube angle and a 38mm offset seems really weird. But.......if you load the thing down on the front wheel with gear? Maybe that is what Bombtrack had in mind.

Possibly a gravel rig here?

The Bombtrack Hook-2 model was also present. The "all-road" offering looks the part of a gravel rig, but once again, the geo chart leaves me scratching my head. The Hook has a head angle that is a half degree slacker than the Beyond, which is weird in itself, and the bottom bracket drop is merely 60mm. Way too high for my tastes. Crazy high, I would say. I took a peek at the 36mm Clements and they had just enough mud clearance to get by, but a bigger tire would be a no-go. I'm thinking this is an off the peg cyclo cross frameset here. Sure looks that way at any rate.

The Bianchi "Allroad"

I spied a patch of celeste blue and knew immediately that I was coming up on some Bianchis. That brand's signature color is their calling card. Fortunately, besides a bunch of road rockets, I found the Allroad, Bianchi's take on what would be good on gravel roads. The geometry is a bit too cyclo-cross-ish still, with a bottom bracket drop of 68mm and the head tube angle is 72°, which is acceptable, but not pushing any boundaries. Okay, so how's that tire clearance?

Ha! Not good. 35mm tires were mounted and that's all you are squeezing in between those chain stays. Moving on now........

My daughter liked the Cannondale 27.5+ bike on display, the Beast Of The East.

The Salsa Cycles Timberjack was in the house.

Specialized's Sequoia

Later into my walk around the expo area I found the Specialized Sequoia, a bike that is getting a lot of press as a bike-packing/touring/adventure vehicle on two wheels. I was pretty curious on this one so I took a much closer look.

It is quite evident once you get up close and personal that the Sequoia was meant to be a beast of burden. Big, beefy chain stays, stout tubing, and that massive front fork are obviously made to be stiff under load and track straight while carrying you on down the road. That said, a carbon fiber touring fork?

We had a good time there, saw a few friends, and zipped on to other business that had to do with the rest of the family.

Happenings Of Late

January.....no snow, no ice, and lots of mud and water!

This is a period of time now where Winter has gone AWOL and we are left with foggy, drippy, cool weather which has depleted the snow. We are now back to the "Brown Phase" and everything looks sullen and dreary.

The ice storm from last week has also had all of its effects melted away, creating another issue- flooding. Since the water that melted and the rain that fell had no where to go in to the soil, due to frozen ground, it ran into all the rivers and streams instead. That has caused ice jams and flooding that is more akin to early March weather than mid-January fare. Hey, at least it isn't below zero!

So, I've been back to riding just recently since being sick. I have been spending most of my time on fat bikes and will continue to do so until I feel better and especially if it snows again. It might do so Tuesday. Anyway, with the water sitting around, and with what little ice there is, it all dictates that I ride the fat bike, which is more sure-footed. It doesn't have a tendency to sink in the mire in a couple of places where I have that on my commute.

I felt good enough to spend Saturday going down to see what was up at the Iowa Bike Expo in Des Moines. Plus, I got to eat lunch at Krunkwich Ramen House, which I highly recommend if you find yourself in Iowa's capital city. Anyway, following are a few of the highlights of the show from my viewpoint. I'll add a bit of commentary as we go here.

Bombtrack Bikes are from Germany, but distributed out of Ames Iowa.

I first came across a Bombtrack Bikes "Beyond" model that caught my eye. It is pretty much a take on a Gen I Fargo, so I was happy to actually get to take a look at one up close. The frame tubing is Columbus CroMor double butted, and seems to be a good thinner walled spec. The bike nails the vibe of a Gen I Fargo, but every time I check out the Bombtrack geo chart on this bike I kind of shake my head. A 72.5° degree head tube angle and a 38mm offset seems really weird. But.......if you load the thing down on the front wheel with gear? Maybe that is what Bombtrack had in mind.

Possibly a gravel rig here?

The Bombtrack Hook-2 model was also present. The "all-road" offering looks the part of a gravel rig, but once again, the geo chart leaves me scratching my head. The Hook has a head angle that is a half degree slacker than the Beyond, which is weird in itself, and the bottom bracket drop is merely 60mm. Way too high for my tastes. Crazy high, I would say. I took a peek at the 36mm Clements and they had just enough mud clearance to get by, but a bigger tire would be a no-go. I'm thinking this is an off the peg cyclo cross frameset here. Sure looks that way at any rate.

The Bianchi "Allroad"

I spied a patch of celeste blue and knew immediately that I was coming up on some Bianchis. That brand's signature color is their calling card. Fortunately, besides a bunch of road rockets, I found the Allroad, Bianchi's take on what would be good on gravel roads. The geometry is a bit too cyclo-cross-ish still, with a bottom bracket drop of 68mm and the head tube angle is 72°, which is acceptable, but not pushing any boundaries. Okay, so how's that tire clearance?

Ha! Not good. 35mm tires were mounted and that's all you are squeezing in between those chain stays. Moving on now........

My daughter liked the Cannondale 27.5+ bike on display, the Beast Of The East.

The Salsa Cycles Timberjack was in the house.

Specialized's Sequoia

Later into my walk around the expo area I found the Specialized Sequoia, a bike that is getting a lot of press as a bike-packing/touring/adventure vehicle on two wheels. I was pretty curious on this one so I took a much closer look.

It is quite evident once you get up close and personal that the Sequoia was meant to be a beast of burden. Big, beefy chain stays, stout tubing, and that massive front fork are obviously made to be stiff under load and track straight while carrying you on down the road. That said, a carbon fiber touring fork?

We had a good time there, saw a few friends, and zipped on to other business that had to do with the rest of the family.